William ii



(No Model.)

W. H. WADDELL.

STATION INDICATOR. No. 288,518. Patented Nov. 13, 1883.

Wi /Les 8.495

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N. PETERS Ma-LMndur. Walunllcn. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

.VILLIAM H. IVADDELL, OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGIXIA.

STATION-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,518, dated November13, 1883,

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \ViLLmn H. WADDELL, of Charlottesville, in thecounty of Albemarle and State of Virginia, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railway Station Indicators; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification.

Myinvention relates to improvementsin station-indicators in whichoctagonal rollers are connected together by means of cog-wheels operatedby a connectingrod passing over an inclined plane situated at thestations; and the objects of my improvements are, to provide astation-indicator which will indicate and disclose automatically and inconsecutive order to the passengers, before arriving thereat, the nameof the station at which the train will stop, continuing so to do duringthe entire trip, and which will, when returning over the route, indicateand disclose correctly in reverse and consecutive order the names of thestations; and, further, of a combination of devices arranged to operatea scroll adapted to unfold upon a rotating drum or drums, preferablyoctagonal in cross-section, which operating mechanism is set in motionand operation by an inclined plane connected with the track or any othersuitable portion of the road-bed.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedindicator; and Fig. 2, a back vertical elevation of the same, showingthe operat ing mechanism with the cover removed.

Similarletters refer to similar parts througlr out the several views.

The mechanism consists of octagonal rollers A, pivoted or secured to aframe, C, the inner side of which is provided with cogwhecls B,whichmesh with a central wheel,B, pivoted to said frame. In the rear oroutside ofsaid octagonal wheels are toothed or sprocket wheels I, whichare operated by means of a pawl or escapement, (1, connected by a plate,K, to a perpendicular bar, L, suitably pivoted and held in its normalposition by means of springs m. Said pawls are bifurcated at the endadjacent to the bar L, as shown at c, and are of a rounded or shoulderedform on their outer edge, at the bottom, so that when the device isoperated to either side this shoulder portion, moving against a pin, 1',serves to release or throw the lever end of the pawl out of engagementwith the sprocket of the wheel.

a is a wire spring, the ends of which press against the pawls betweentheir bifurcated ends, and act to assist the said pawls in beingrestored after the above-mentioned function is performed. To the lowerend of said bar L is pivoted a vertical arm, N, held or retained in itsnormal position by a spring, 0. The object in thus pivoting the arm N tothe bar L, which is guided by a rod suitably secured in the frame-workF, is, that when the bar L reaches the end of the rodO it will yieldover to one side and allow the bar to pass over the inclined plane, andthus preventinjury or accident, as would be the case were the bar Lconstructed of a rigid piece; and, further, the object of the arm X,pivoted in the manner shown, is to also yield to irregular heights ofthe car-body, and which is adapted to resume its normal position by thesprings 0'.

To the frame -work F is secured a bell, H, sounded or detonated by aforked arm, S, provided with weighted ends and attached to a bar, 1),connecting with the rod L, by which means the hell or gong is sounded.On the octagonal rollers A are properly secured rolls of cloth or othersuitable material, on which are inscribed the names of the severalstations at which the train is to stop, and which is held taut by meansof a weighted roller, E, which is held in place by means of slottedmetal strips D, secured to the frame-work F, while passing from oneroller to the other.

The object of the weighted roller E, secured in the slotted metal stripsD,is forthe purpose of preventing any slack in the rolls of cloth, whichwould be the case were it not used-as, for instance, when the roll ofcloth would all be wound upon one of the octagonal rollers A the otherwould be less in circumference, and consequently unable to wind up therolls as fast as released.

The operation is as follows: On the side of the traclgat points betweenstations at suitable distances therefrom, are placed inclined planes,

IOC

I it from moving beyond the required distance,-

and which, by the tension of the springs m will be rotated and returnedto its normal position by means of the said springs m,or by its ownweight, thereby revolving the octagonal wheels and placing the name ofthe station about to be reached before the attention of the passengers,and at the same time partially rotate the bar I), thus-striking the gongor bell.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting or confining myself to theuse of octagonal cylinders, as I may use cylinders provided with anynumber of sides; and, further, instead of using one bell or gong, I mayuse two, one be ing placed, respectively, under each of the cylinders.

I am aware that prior to my invention station-indicators have been usedoperated by means of a rod passing over inclined planes, and at the sametime sounding an alarm. I therefore do not claim such a combination,broadly; but

WVhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. In a station-indicator, the rotating octagonal rollers mounted in asuitable frame connected bya band bearing the names of the stations, andhaving at one end cog-wheels which mesh with an intermediate cog, and atthe other end thereof sprocket-wheels, in combination with thebifurcated pawls adapted to be released from and restored to operativeconnection with said sprocket-wheels through the agency of a trip-leveroperated by an inclined plane, substantially as described.

2. In a station-indicator, the combination of the bar L, moving in guideO,and the supplemental bar N, connected thereto by a spring, with theplate K, pivoted bifurcated pawls O, springs a, and pins z, said pawlsadapted to engage the sprocket-wheels for rotating the cylinders hereindescribed, and arranged in engagement therewith, and to be operatedsubstantially as set forth.

3. In a station-indicator, the rod D, mounted in a frame and havingsecured to one end a forked arm having clapper for sounding the bell H,and t0 the other end abar, L, actuated by thesprings m, in combinationwith the supplemental bar N, pivotally secured to the bar L, andconnected thereto by the spring 0, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose set forth.

4. In a station-indicator, the combination of the drums having thesprocket-wheels at one end, and engaged by pawls, whereby they arerotated, and the cog-wheels at the other, which turn with the rollersmeshing with the intermediate cog, as described, with the barD,connecting with the rod E, and having the forked arm dependingtherefrom, by means of which, when the machine is operated, an alarm issounded and the name of a station simultaneously registered, as setforth.

5. In astation-indicator, the combination of the drums having the cogand sprocket wheels, as described, and the rod L, having the plate ispivoted thereto, with the bifur- 8o cated pawls O, springs a, bearingagainst said pawls, pins i, and springs on, one of said pawls, when thedevice is operated, allowing the escapement of the next or highersprocket of one wheel, while the opposite pawl engages the releasedsprocket of the other wheel, thereby preventing it from moving beyondthe required distance, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affiX mysignature in pres- 9o ence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM H. WVADDELL.

\Vitnesses:

B. F. MORSELL, EDWARD E. ELLIs.

